RECENT alleged assaults on members of the Indian/South Asian community are “shameful” and a “dreadful misrepresentation” of Ireland’s famous céad míle fáilte, the Bishop of Limerick told a gathering of Indian catholics in Limerick.
Bishop Brendan Leahy told an annual retreat, organised by the Syro-Malabar community, an eastern catholic church with its roots in the Syriac tradition of Kerala, India, and attended by hundreds from within that community, that a “true Ireland” had nothing but admiration for the contribution to Irish society by Indian people living here.
Bishop Leahy told the gathering, held at Limerick Racecourse, that “I have been coming here each year for many years now to meet with you, I always admire your wonderful commitment to gathering together for a time of prayer and reflection, supporting, and encouraging one another in the company of your beautiful families and friends — And there are always so many of you.”
“Each year I’ve met you, the people in Ireland cannot but be grateful to you for the many ways you are gently but efficiently and compassionately present in healthcare and the hospitality industry, in the IT, engineering, and financial services as well as in many other walks of life and work in Ireland,” Bishop Leahy said.
“Your self-effacing demeanour is in such stark contrast with the horrible deeds of those engaged in recent incidents of unprovoked attacks and violence against people from India and South Asia more generally.
“It is shameful for native Irish to hear members of the Indian community say they are too scared to go out. People may be entitled to varying views about migrants and our social policies in Ireland, but nothing excuses boorish behaviour.
“And every effort must be made to ensure that young people do not pick up nefarious attitudes towards migrants in this country.”
Bishop Leahy said everyone should treat their neighbour as they would like to be treated themselves: “No matter who we are or where we come from, that is the criterion that must dominate all our relationships. That is the golden rule that we must all adhere to in our speech and in our social media interactions as well as in daily encounters.”
“May Irish people discover more deeply what this golden rule means for us. It’s written into our spiritual DNA. If we forget it, we create havoc.”
In an article on the subject of alleged attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland, The Irish Times reported on August 12 that Garda analysts had determined there had been no significant increase in targeted attacks on Indians living in Ireland.
The Limerick Post contacted Gardaí for comment.
